Folding box for containing and displaying articles such as fruits and vegetables

Abstract

Bottom parts, overlapping on a longitudinal median strip and connected at bending lines with the long sidewalls of a folding box, are attached to the short sidewalls by connection flaps which have triangular ears glued to the adjacent short sidewall halves. The triangular adhering ears are bounded by 45° fold lines from the remainder of the connecting flap. The lower bottom part has a shallow oblique cutout at each end with its apex on the folding line between it and the connecting flap, so that the upper bottom part will ride on it easily as the box is set up while blunt corners on the leading edge of the oblique cut-out press in to provide snap action as the box is set up by inward pressure on the short sidewalls. In the folded condition, the sidewalls are folded together along the midline of the narrow walls. The two bottom parts are fastened together by a sticking strip edge along the middle. The lower bottom part bends on a folding line at the edge of this strip as the box is set up.

I claim: 
     
       1. A folding box useful for holding and displaying articles such as fruits and vegetables, comprising in combination: two first sidewalls (2,3) each having a bottom part (5,6) connected thereto through hinge-like bending lines (7);   two second sidewalls (24,32; 19,42) each having approximately in the middle thereof a hinge-like folding line for enabling the sides to be folded together, and   foldable connection flaps (8,16; 10,28; 12,34; 14,46) provided between at least one of the bottom parts (5,6) with which the flap is integral, and said second sidewalls (24,32; 19,42) in each case connected with the bottom part and a sidewall through hinge-like bending or folding lines (9,21; 11,28; 13,49; 15,48) and having an ear beyond one of said folding lines (9, 11, 13, 15) by which the flap is fastened in place,   said bottom parts being fastened to each other along the area of an edge strip of one of said bottom parts hinged thereto along a folding line.   
     
     
       2. A folding box as defined in claim 1, in which said connecting flaps (8,16; 10,28; 12,34; 14,46) are connected integrally at bending lines of said bottom parts (5,6), and said ears thereof are affixed by adhesive respectively to the adjacent parts of said second side walls (24,32; 19,42), and in which said edge strip of said one bottom part is adhesively engaged to the other of said bottom parts by an adhesive substance provided therebetween. 
     
     
       3. A folding box as defined in claim 2, in which said adhesively engaged edge strip is bent back over about a folding line (39) that is parallel to the bending line (7) between said one bottom part (6) and the adjacent sidewall (3), whereby in an elongated region of the middle portion of the bottom there are, in the set-up condition of the box, three superimposed layers (FIG. 7). 
     
     
       4. A folding box as defined in claim 1, in which said foldable connection flaps have bending lines (9, 11, 13, 15) that run at an angle that at least approximates 45° through the bending line (7) between a bottom part (5,6) and respectively, the first sidewalls (2,3). 
     
     
       5. A folding box as defined in claim 2, in which each connecting flap (12,14) integral with the bottom part (6) that is provided with the adhesively engaged edge strip (38), which flap has an ear adhering to one of said second sidewall parts (32,42), meets said bottom part (6) in a bending line (49,48) that is shorter than half of the total width of the bottom of the box in its set-up condition. 
     
     
       6. A folding box as defined in claim 2, characterized in that in the blank from which it was made three bending or folding lines (7,9,20,21; 7,11,25,29; 7,13,33,49; 7,15,43,48) intersect at each of the corners (26,27,50,51) between bottom parts (5,6) and sidewall parts (19,24,32,42) and that furthermore at each of said corners a slit (52,53,54,55) terminates that separates the sidewall parts from the connection flaps. 
     
     
       7. A folding box as defined in claim 5, made from a blank in which two of said connection flaps have an obliquely cut back edge (56,57) leading into an inward obtuse angle having its apex on the bending line between the connection flap and the bottom part with which it is contiguous, said bottom part having an obliquely cut back part of its edge terminating in said obtuse angle apex. 
     
     
       8. A folding box as defined in claim 7, in which the two connection flaps having an obliquely cut back edge (56,57) are attached to the same one of said bottom parts (6), that one of said bottom parts being provided with an adhesively engaged edge strip (38) beyond a folding line (39) about which it is is bent or folded over on itself to present a sticking surface to the other of said bottom parts (5), and in which the corners (58) of the edge of said first-mentioned bottom part (6) which are respectively located at the ends of said edge-strip-defining folding line (39) press against the other bottom part (5) when the box is set-up, so that after some resistance is overcome in the setting-up of the box, the folding box tends to remain in the set-up condition, said corners (58) forming an obtuse angle in the outer contour of said first-mentioned bottom part (6) because of the folding or bending back of the edge-strip-carrying lip of the first-mentioned bottom part (6).